Early Health Science Center Leader Dies

Edward McLaughlin, Ph.D., 83, died Aug. 26 in a Houston area hospice. He was an early leader in the development of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he served as vice president for operations and planning from 1974-77.

“Dr. Mac,” as he was affectionately known to students and faculty alike, was a former assistant dean for educational programs at the UT Medical School at Houston. He first joined the Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in 1975 and served as chief psychologist for the department, as well as for the UT Harris County Psychiatric Center. He retired in 1997.

Prior to joining UT, he held a distinguished career at NASA with key roles with the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs. He served in the early 1970s as a member of the US/USSR Joint Working Group on Space Biology and Medicine.